US Embassy roasted over baffling list of Aussie slang words
The unusual guide to local lingo has gone viral.
The US Embassy of Australia has raised eyebrows after sharing a list of so-called Aussie slang words that is so far off the mark, many think it must be a case of top-tier trolling. At least, that's how it looks to those who've never referred to a cigarette as a "koala log".
Australians are accustomed to being misunderstood, with widely perpetuated stereotypes convincing foreigners we ride kangaroos to school and spend most of our lives dodging deadly wildlife (when in reality it's only some of our lives), but the embassy's guide to Aussie vernacular appears to take cultural misunderstanding to a whole new level.
Bizarre slang list goes viral
Titled "Australia: Speak like a local", the list starts off factually enough, stating that the Aussie word for "friend" is "mate", but any sense of accuracy then goes out the window. The embassy would have you believe that Down Under a tourist is called a "freshie", snake translates to "crikey Mikey", and the moon is referred to as "mother onion".
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Aussies roasted the embassy over the list, which was posted on Twitter. "I was born and raised here, and a lot of these will get you VERY quizzical looks if you bust them out on an Aussie," one user responded.
"You've been dudded on these. Get new mates," another quipped. Appearing to take the bait, the embassy responded, "we pay these ones to hang out with us."
We’re lucky to work with such lovely Australians who help us with the lingo.
Could say we’re over the mother onion. pic.twitter.com/xLfeLEnaoQ— U.S. Embassy Australia (@USEmbAustralia) September 28, 2023
Who's trolling who?
One Twitter user theorised that a practical joke had been played on US Embassy diplomats as revenge for an episode of The Simpsons that first aired in the 1990s. Included on the list is "dollarydoos" as Aussie slang for money, a term that originated in the infamous episode set mostly in Australia.
Others claimed the embassy was in on the joke, pointing to the first line of the post as the give-away. "We're lucky to work with such lovely Australians who help us with the lingo," the embassy's social media team wrote, suggesting they're the victims of a classic Aussie stitch-up.
Indeed, social media users quickly identified that the post was making light of the Australian tradition of giving foreigners a bum steer, just like telling them to beware of "drop bears". "Brilliant! And there was me thinking Americans don't have a refined sense of humour. I love a well-constructed parody account," responded one Twitter user. "Someone's taking the piss, mate," came a more succinct, and distinctly Aussie, response.
Overwhelmingly, Australians were impressed with the US Embassy's humorous approach. "This is an incredible troll job," wrote one Twitter user, to which the embassy simply replied with a smirking emoji.
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